Flew all the way to India for a Yoga Class

The following was a discussion board thread post for my Yoga classes at Cleveland State University. The students were asked to take a different kind of yoga class and I was sharing my recent experience in India.

India is considered the birth place of yoga and what better place to take a yoga class! Between November 2-13th I will be traveling to the Bihar School of Yoga  in Munger, India and attending Munger Yoga Symposium II. In 2018 I attended Munger Yoga Symposium I. During my time at the ashram I will have a traditional ashram experience.

Traditional ashrams have only the basic necessities and there is no heat or air conditioning in the dorm where I will be staying. It will be about 70-75 degrees during the day but get down to 50 at night.

The rooms are simple with a wooden bed and thin mat to sleep upon. There will be a communal bathroom where I will be taking daily  "bucket showers" with cold water.

Each day I will wake up before 5am for my personal sadhana (yoga practice) followed by a group yoga class that will consist of asana, pranayama and a meditation practice.

From there a simple breakfast (e.g.vegetable upma) and chai tea which will be eaten in mouna  (silence). After breakfast I will be be assigned a cleaning task (seva) in the dorm. After seva there will likely be a little free time.

During the day there will be various programs and lectures. We will also engage in "Karma Yoga" (Action without attachment) everyday where we will be assigned a department (kitchen, bhet (gift giving), accommodations, etc) for about an hour each day.

Prior to lunch there will likely be a group Yoga Nidra. This will be one of my most favorite parts of the day!

Lunch and dinner will be simple and typically Indian (Vegetarian- eg. rice, dahl, beans, vegetables, roti or chapati) During lunch I will have a chance to talk to my friends ;-) but during dinner we will be in mouna (silence) once again and that silence will continue through breakfast the next day!

Lights out by 8-9pm each night.

Oh, and NO PHONES!

Even though I haven't had the above experience in yet, I have been to India a few times before and many of you know I was at the other Indian ashram in this lineage, Rikhiapeeth, this summer for nearly 8 weeks, and the daily schedule is just about always the same.

The simplicity of living in an ashram, even for a short time allows us to "unplug" from the world and can provide an opportunity to truly relax and reset. Our life responsibilites (school, work, family, relationships) are not directly in front of us and we can focus on ourselves with fewer "triggers" that take us away from being our best version. Although there will be work to do and interactions that may be challenging, it will be a lot easier to witness without reaction - vairagya (detachment).

During my time at the Bihar School of Yoga I hope to increase my self awareness and yogic knowledge  brightening my own inner light so that I can help all of you brighten yours!

I will miss you all but look forward to sharing my experience and reading about your experiences and the progress you are making in your own yoga practice when I return.